Dark Heresy: Through a Guardsman's Eyes
by HailToTheKing
Summary: Dark Heresy fanfic with a full party. Every class represented with their own personalities and quirks. 1st person through the Guardsman Nikolas Halcyon. Gonna be a Lil grim-dark, but funny and with romance too.
1. Chapter 1

By the Emperor I am so scared right now…

The fallen sergeant's sword is in my trembling hands, and the two xenos are facing me down now.

The larger of the two steps forward. His suit of powered armor whines as he brings the broken fusion gun up like a club. Behind him the other xeno grasps his golden staff in two hands.

I steady the sword with both hands.

He makes the first move.

The jetpacks on his back propel him forward towards me, and he tries to bash my head with the gun.

I barely dodge in time, and thrust the sword into him.

His suit deflects the blow from his stomach into his shoulder.

Blue blood splashes onto me as he yells in pain.

He swings his arm up and cracks me in the head.

The blow knocks my helmet off and I retaliate by pulling the sword from him, and bringing it over my head and down onto his.

His helmet deflects the blow again, but it does him no good. His head hang by the seals on his helmet.

His body thumps to the ground and I look at the other xeno.

His face is calm… Understanding…

He drops the staff and falls to his knees.

"It is okay Gue'la," he says to me "You have won, and now my life is yours,"

He bows his head in silence.

Waiting… For a blow that won't come…

The whining of Valkyrie turbines causes me to drop the sword and clutch me ears in pain. I turn my head and watch reinforcements slide down zip lines and train their weapons on the Ethereal.

They are bearded and bulky…

Vostroyans…

They came to aid in our counterattack a month ago. A squad of them fought with us as we took this last city. One died with me after he disabled the Tau leader's gun-arm…

The troopers circle around the Tau and keep their lasguns pointed at him.

He looks up at me…

I expect anger… Despair… Something…

He smiles and nods… Understanding…

A tear runs down my dirt-caked face as I turn away from him and board a now landed Valkyrie.

Emperor save me…

I sleep on the flight back to the mustering field. The pilot wakes me and I gather my kit before stepping onto the muddy ground. Before I can think I am assaulted by troopers. They are all in a cheerful fit about the last battle. I killed the Tau leader and captured the Ethereal. Apparently, the Ethereal is instrumental in pushing the xenos off the planet. Troopers are hailing me as the "Hero of Irra". I'm too tired to smile or even to respond. A sergeant pushes his way towards me and orders me to report to the command center. I can only nod as I turn to walk away.

I stumble into the warehouse that has been repurposed as battlefield HQ and again I am assaulted by officers this time. A lot of them offer pats on the back and approving looks. Again, I am too tired to verbally respond, but manage a smile and salute for them all.

"Private Halcyon?" a voice asks.

I turn to see who is asking for me.

The voice originates from a young adept carrying a data-slate. He wears traditional robes, and he smells like ink. Unsurprising really, you rarely meet an adept that doesn't REEK of ink or parchment.

I nod toward him. He smiles. A big goofy ass grin that would have me rolling was I rested.

"I need you to come with me," he says.

I shuffle after him as he works his way deeper into the building. He leads me into a room a few floors underground. In the room are my two worst fears: my grandfather and an Inquisitor. Reflexively I snap to attention and give a sharp salute. My grandfather waves his hand at me and clasps his hands behind his back.

"You are the "Hero of Irra"?" The Inquisitor asks.

I nod.

"Don't be afraid to speak boy," he says to me.

"That is the title they have given me," I say "I was just doing my job sir,"

The Inquisitor laughs. It's deep and loud in the small room.

"I find myself in need of a hero," he says to me.

"May I ask what for sir?" I say back.

"For anything and everything I want," he replies.

"And I'm the one you want?" I say.

He simply nods.

Emperor save me…


	2. Chapter 2

Do not ask why you serve, only ask how.

That is what the diviner said to me on the Inquisitor's ship.

I have taken it to heart.

The boarding craft shakes as it docks onto the orbital station.

The squad of men behind me is visibly nervous.

Not because of the danger beyond the door, but the danger right next to me.

A psyker…

He is barely fifteen standard years, and pallid as chalk. I am only calm because I know he will be of use here. Malicious xenos wait for us on this station, but we have an objective: rescue a Techpriest.

"Don't be afraid of me," the boy says "Be afraid of your own thoughts,"

He cackles and a man behind me noticeably shivers.

A clank alerts me to the ramp beginning to open.

I arm my laspistol, and draw the sword that was used to end the war. Behind me the men rack their shotguns.

"Everyone split up and rendezvous with the station's security force! Protect as many innocents as possible!" I shout toward the men.

They slap the butts of their shotguns in response.

WHAM!

The ramp is down and the men rush past me down the hall.

"They won't survive," the psyker says "They weren't meant to,"

"Shut up Jerrod," I snap back.

He shrugs and begins walking down the hall.

He carries a metal staff with the Imperial Aquila on the top of it. The icon isn't decorative, it's razor sharp on the edges. He also has a laspistol holstered, but he only carries it because the Inquisitor asks him to. He doesn't need it at all really. I've seen his psychic powers before, and they are vast.

I follow him for a distance.

We don't encounter much in the halls. Just silence for a long time. As we leave a room and walk into what was the cafeteria we get our first look at what we are up against.

The cafeteria is littered with dismembered corpses of men and women and children.

Jerrod stops me as we enter.

"We are not alone," he states.

I would say he scans the room, but he lacks the eyes to do so. Instead a metal band stretches over his eye sockets.

He lifts the staff up and thumps it against the tile. Cold air permeates my boots up to the ankle.

"There you are," he says aloud.

In the corners across from us two figures appear. They are garbed in tight fitting cloth and have barbed blades strapped to their wrists. Upon appearing they howl and run at us.

I aim at one and pump a few las-rounds into him, but it doesn't slow him down.

They get a few feet from us before a massive wave of cold throws them back against the wall opposite us.

Psykers are wonderful sometimes.

I charge forward, pumping more rounds into the same xeno as before. As soon as I get into range I swing my sword at him.

He parries with the wrist blade and throws a punch at my midsection.

My armor absorbs the blow and I swing for his legs.

He jumps over the blade, and thrusts toward my head.

I dodge to the side, and thrust my sword into his exposed gut.

He howls as it slides effortlessly into him.

I silence him with the barrel of my pistol.

I look over toward Jerrod and see the armless corpse of the other xeno at his feet. He turns and smiles at me.

"I expected a Dark Eldar to be more of a fight honestly," he quips.

I just give him a nod.

"Well, let's keep moving," he says as he goes toward the exit.

I grunt in agreement and follow him down more bloodstained hallways. We walk for what seems like hours before he suddenly stops again.

"The security teams are falling back. They are losing badly," he states "We must hurry. Their Archon will be here shortly,"

'Archon?' I wonder.

"Leader," Jerrod replies as if I had spoken aloud.

I say nothing and follow him as we begin to run through the halls. It doesn't take us long to get to the "bridge" of the station. Basically, it's an auditorium where they have set up a medical station and have barricaded the main doors. As we enter I immediately notice our target. He is turned away from us, but you tend to notice a Techpriest by their red robes, and how they fuss over the damn technology.

Wait…. It's a she?

The Techpriest is a female. She is about 5' 8" and has flowing scarlet hair, and big green eyes.

"Don't touch that!" she shouts at a security guard "I haven't blessed it yet!"

"Well hurry the frak up!" he shouts back.

We move into the room and come up behind her. She turns to us and I notice just how beautiful she is. Her skin is pale from living on a ship for so long and it contrasts with the hair color. Her eyes are soft, and curious. Her face is almost oval, and her nose is small.

I am struck.

Too struck to say anything, but Jerrod intervenes.

"Techpriest Sadira Mrin?" he asks.

She moves to respond, but Jerrod cuts her off.

"I already know. We need to leave," he states.

She begins to argue, but an explosion cuts everything off.

"The Archon!" Jerrod hisses.

I bring my pistol around to see what this "Archon" is.

Horrifying is a good word to describe it.

It wears the flesh of kills on barbs mounted on its back, and heads of victims still bearing the looks of anguish. Its armor is black as night and vaguely insect-like, but what draws attention is its left hand.

It's a massive-ass claw.

It reminds me off the gauntlet of a Space Marine, but more barbed and twisted.

Jerrod screams in pain and people begin screaming and running in fear.

I don't.

For some reason the only things in my mind are what the diviner said, and the look on the Tau Ethereal's face before I left him.

I step toward him and draw my sword, holstering my pistol in the process.

He looks at me and smirks, saying something in his language.

I respond with a steeled look of determination.

He works off fear; if I show no fear he is no stronger than me.

He starts running at me.

I charge at him as well.

I duck his swing at my head, and shoulder-butt him backwards.

He reels back from the hit and swings for my stomach.

I rear back and his claws rake my armor leaving deep scars in the molding.

I thrust toward his head, and he deflects the strike.

The blade slices his shoulder; causing him to howl in pain.

He punches me, and sends me stumbling back onto the floor.

His comes down on me with the claw, but I roll away and punch him in the face.

He shouts something I can't understand, and lashes out with a kick to my hip.

I step back, and thrust my sword toward his stomach.

My thrust connects and he shrieks as the blade goes into him.

Before I can pull out he kicks me again, connecting this time.

I stumble backwards, and nearly catch his claws to my face.

I fall backwards, pulling my pistol out as I go, and shoot him dead between his eyes.

His body slumps down with a smoking hole, and a look of astonishment.

I accept Jerrod's hand, and get up from the floor.

"Now can we leave?" I ask Sadira.


	3. Author Insert

Yeah, so these are the first two chapter of my story. I modeled it around the Dark Heresy rulebook, and 40k lore as much as I can. If you have advice, criticisms, or requests/praise please do so in a review. More is to come, a new chapter by Thursday, and a comedy insert.


	4. Chapter 3

I am still not used to Warp travel. I'm heaving up my food for what seems like the hundredth time. It's just painful dry heaving now, and it's giving me a massive headache. The only good thing is that I am not in the billets of a massive ship with my comrades laughing at me. Instead, we are on a "civilian" craft en-route to a shrine world. The ship is very luxurious, and that throws me off as well. When you are used to cold steel cots and reconstituted meals you are surprised when you are given full quarters, and hot meals every day.

Our Inquisitor uses the excuse that it helps pass the image of a civilian craft, but Darvo, the adept that brought me to the Inquisitor, thinks that our commander is more human than he acts.

Sadira doesn't comment at all.

She's been either in her room or in the bowels of the ship fixing things since we left the orbital.

She has been crying it seems…

I see her during meals and her eyes are always red rimmed.

The captain announces that "lunch" is ready.

Can't really tell the time of day in space.

I head down the stairway into the common room. I have been wearing my fatigue pants, combat boots, and undershirt since day three on the ship. I see no sense in wearing full combat gear right now. I'm enjoying the relaxation.

I see Darvo and Jerrod are already at the table.

Darvo turns to my arrival with a smile.

"Hello Nik!" he nearly shouts.

He is too damn happy, but he came from paradise in a sense.

He was from Koschei; the shining sea planet. Eighty percent of his world is covered in shimmering ocean with the land masses being beautiful islands of green. He showed me picts he kept on his data-slate. I returned the favor by showing some that I had of me and my original squad around a Hammerhead Gunship we blew to hell.

He was amused.

Jerrod flicks his hand my way. That's the most you can really get out of him right now. Warp travel is difficult for psykers. I asked him about it one night, and he told me that he could see the daemons that were attacking the Gellar Field surrounding us in his nightmares. Thank the Emperor he didn't go into detail.

Darvo slides me a plate. It's simple stew with hunks of tough meat. Frakking delicious as anything I've had since leaving home. Darvo trades Jerrod in for me as a new conversational partner. I've been teaching him proper use and maintenance of his auto-pistol, and he's been working out with me to tone his sloppy physique. We sit and he blabbers on about something that the stew reminds him of before Sadira comes in.

"Hello," I say to her.

She looks at me and nods slightly.

"You could say hello back," I quip.

"Hello fathead," she retorts.

"Not even nice at all," I scoff.

All of a sudden she breaks down and talks about how she misses the orbital and all her "babies".

Her babies were all the servitors on the station.

She sobs as she continues to talk about how she feels empty before taking her plate and rushing back to her room.

Darvo and I look at each other with flabbergasted faces.

"We should cheer her up somehow!" Darvo suddenly shouts.

"How are we supposed to do that idjit?" I reply.

He falls silent again.

Jerrod bids us farewell and returns to his room.

I come up with an ingenious idea.

She referred to servitors like children, and the loss of them causes her grief. She needs a new "child".

"Darvo, do you know anything about servo skulls?" I ask.

Darvo drops his fork and coughs.

"I have three, but one isn't working right now," he says.

I stare at him for a second until he gets it.

"OH, OH, OH, You want to give it to Sadira right?" he says excitedly.

I nod.

"Well, I suppose I don't need that broken one, but you aren't getting it for free," he says.

"What do you want?" I ask.

"Help me re-arrange my room, and give me fifty thrones," he says.

"Hmmm….. Deal," I reply.

He smiles and rushes up to his room, and returns with the broken servo-skull. I know little to nothing about these things, so, it looks foreign as any piece of machinery to me. I thank him, and take the skull over to Sadira's door. I put it behind my back and knock with my free hand. The door slides open with a hiss, and she looks at me with teary eyes.

"What the frak do you want fathead?" she says whilst rubbing her nose with her sleeve.

"I brought you something," I say.

"What is it?"

"Let me in and I'll show you. I know you'll like it,"

"Okay I guess…,"

She lets me into her MASSIVELY MESSY room. Seriously, there are parts all over the floor, and it reeks of oil. As soon as I get two steps in I reveal my gift. She has her back to me and hasn't seen it yet.

"Now, what the frak have you go,"

She is cut off mid-sentence and stands mystified by the skull. She squeals like a child who just got a chocolate bar, and takes it from me. She thanks me over and over again while inspecting the skull.

"You're welcome. I thought you could use something to keep you busy," I say.

"I can't stress how nice this is. I have been missing my babies since we left, but now I have a new baby!" she squeals.

She seems extra excited that it is broken.

She hugs me one last time before I take my leave, and head to have Darvo join me in field stripping our weapons and cleaning them before heading to the makeshift range I made in an empty storage room.

I stop to vomit in my restroom beforehand and pray that we leave the Warp soon.


	5. Author Insert Part Two

"No, that goes over here and slides into that!"

"R-Right…,"

"Now, that goes here, and that locks in there,"

"Oh, now I see,"

"You're learning little by little Darvo,"

"T-Thanks Nik,"

"Now, put a drop of grease here to smooth the action… DAMNIT NOT THAT MUCH!"

"S-S-Sorry….,"

"It's okay. Sorry I snapped, but you have to make sure the cap is fully on next time,"

"What are you two doing?"

"Nik is teaching me how to properly maintain my weapon,"

"Ohhh… Can you give me a few tips too?"

"Sure Sadira. Get your weapon and bring it in here,"

"Okay, be right back,"

"Now clean the rest of that extra grease out,"

"Gotcha,"

"Take that scrubber and clean the barrel out. Gunked up barrels can really mess up your day,"

"I'm back,"

"Good, disassemble that carbine,"

"Alrighty. You have grease right?"

"Of course, I always carry some,"

"I cleaned out the barrel,"

"Okay, now clean the gunk from the trigger. Sadira, check your action, It looks like there is grime in it,"

"Yeah, I haven't gotten it out in a while,"

"Trigger is clean,"

"Okay, now put it all back together, and get your magazines out,"

"Ewwww… There is a ton of grime in the barrel,"

"Here, take this scrubber and get that out now,"

"Here are my magazines,"

"Okay, take two and fire them at the farthest targets,"

"Yuck, I will not ignore this thing anymore, it's just nasty,"

"That's what happens when you aren't disciplined,"

"What are you trying to say?"

"Have you seen your room?"

"What about it?"

"Hey, hey, hey I hit every time!"

"I'm saying I don't know how you can breathe in that mess,"

"I can breathe just fine! Besides, I can find everything okay,"

"Yeah, but look at the state of your weapon. You want it to be that way?"

"Oh, shut up,"

"No one going to praise my accuracy? Okay, I guess I'll just keep shooting then,"

"Good job Darvo. Hit the range right quick Sadira,"

"Okey-dokey,"

"What should I do?"

"You should go refill your spent magazines, and go do whatever,"

"Okay…,"

"My aim sucks,"

"You're pulling the trigger,"

"Aren't you supposed to?"

"Squeeze, and exhale with the shot,"

"Okay…. I hit!"

"See? You have to be calm no matter what,"

"Are you always calm in the heat of battle?"

"At first? No, but I learned real quick,"

"How?"

"I would think calming things,"

"Like what?"

"Usually stuff from my childhood, but occasionally I would think of Ally,"

"Who's that?"

"My first love,"

"Oh…. Tell me about her,"

"I really don't want to think about her,"

"Why?"

"She's a righteous bitch,"

"Oh really, how so?"

"She made it with my little brother the day after we made it together,"

"Oh for throne's sake you are pulling my leg,"

"Nope, I got up that morning, and walked past his room to see them cuddling,"

"HAHAHAHA…. Oh, crap, I shouldn't laugh at that,"

"It's okay. She became our platoon's jizz jar a few months later,"

"Huh?"

"She chased after our platoon, and took the innocence of most of them,"

"Oh snap,"

"It got to be a test for new comers,"

"Really? That's wild,"

"Yeah, kind of weird actually,"

"I suppose so,"

"Listen, I'm going to go take a nice hot shower,"

"That sounds fun,"

"Erm… I suppose so… Can you take showers with that plug in your temple?"

"Yeah, it's insulated. By the way it's an electro-graft,"

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to offend,"

"No harm done,"

"See you later,"

"Bye,"


	6. Chapter 4 or Rough Start

The battle for Ocktor Prime has already started.

The drop ship shakes its occupants to their cores. The Guardsman is the least affected since he's been in this position a few times before, but the scribe has already lost his lunch. The techpriestess' only refuge is toying with her restraints and murmuring quiet prayers. A klaxon announces their arrival into atmo.

"FIFTY SECONDS!" the guardsman yells out.

He begins his practiced routine. He first puts his helmet on his head and secures it there. Then, he pulls his lasrifle up to his chest and arms it. His head snaps forward and his eyes stare holes into the wall opposite of him. Thankfully the other two occupants take note of his actions and perform their versions of them. The scribe gathers his data slate and clutches it to his chest before vomiting on the cold steel floor again, and the techpriestess manages to arm her lascarbine before the drop ship begins its downward spiral.

The heretic mob on the planet's surface is modestly equipped at most. Carrying auto weapons and light anti-tank launchers they have managed to harass Imperial security forces, and drop back into the landscape before emerging to strike again.

The heretic forces assaulting the city of Hynobaal were shocked at the small drop ship making its landing, but one managed to focus long enough to fire a rocket at the craft. The rocket smacked into one of the turbines, and destroyed it completely sending the ship swirling downward and crashing, but before the cultist could cheer at his crack shot a solid slug punched through his head.

"COME INITIATES! STRIKE THEM DOWN FOR THE EMPEROR!" a cry came from a worship house.

A swarm of white robed women poured out and began to assault the cultists with blade, fist, and bullet. At their head was a man donned in Ecclesiarchal robes wielding a large metal hammer with the Imperial Aquila branded on the sides. He smote down every cultist he reached, and sang hymns at the top of his lungs as they pushed forward. The initiates joined into the singing, and the mob soon began to rout and run for the outlying lands. Once the last one was out of sight the old priest turned around and thrust his hammer into the air.

"We have done well to curb these blasphemers!" he boomed "But we must hunt them down, and bring the Emperor's Mercy to them!"

The crowd shouted their approval, and the old man gave them a blessing before letting a sergeant from the security forces take over. The old man began walking toward where the ship crashed. He knew that it might be dangerous, but he was sure he saw the Inquisitorial insignia on the side of the craft.

Nik was the first to wake from the impact shock.

The ship was destroyed yes, but the majority of the aft-section of the ship was intact enough that they were alive. He pushed the release to his restraints and stood on the slightly inclining surface. He scanned the compartment. The scribe was alive, but had a nasty cut on his face. The priestess was fine, and was starting to regain consciousness. Unfortunately, once she recognized that they had crashed and the ship was scrap, she began to tear up. She disliked seeing machinery broken, and this wreckage put a hole in her heart. She began to mumble "I want to leave" as she tugged at the restraints. Nik rushed over to her.

"Calm down," he said "We just wrecked, and the last thing you need to do is go tuggin' at them straps,"

He poked at her arms and legs to make sure nothing was broke before releasing her. Then she promptly started to beat feet toward the unhinged ramp that hung half open. Nik swore to himself as he tackled her. His face a mask of anger he began yelling at her.

"Do you want us to get killed huh?" he yelled "We don't know how many are out there!"

This sudden added shock made the tears flow freely on her face, and Nik began swearing aloud.

"FRAK FRAK FRAK FRAK FRAK FRAK FRAK!" he shouted "Quit crying and help Darvo!"

She picked herself off the floor and wiped her face with her cloak as she went over to the young scribe. She stifled back more tears as she unlocked the boy and struggled to pick him up, but Nik was already there to help her.

"Check the cockpit. The pilot might be alive," he said.

Sadira nodded and turned to the small stairway up to the cockpit. She had to crawl into the crushed room, and smelled burnt flesh. The body of the pilot was nearly fused with the console, but to her horror still moved. His blackened maw opened and ruined vocal chords attempted their futile task. Sadira began to tear up again and went to crawl back out, but Nik asked if the pilot had made it. She turned back toward the man, and looked around the cockpit. Against the wall next to her was a laspistol hanging from a holster. She pulled it out and held it in both hands as she pointed it at the burnt husk.

"No," she whispered as a bright blue bolt of energy burst the pilot's head open.

Nik sighed as he heard the discharge, and nodded at Sadira once she crawled out of the cockpit. He had Darvo over his shoulder and his lasrifle help by its pistol grip in his free hand. Sadira reclaimed her lascarbine and looked at him. She was waiting to be told what to do because she didn't know what to do except lay down and cry.

"Err… Take a look outside and tell me what's going on, but be careful not to get shot," Nik said.

Sadira nodded and crept over to the open ramp. She eased her head over the edge and looked out.

They had landed in a beautiful city. Ocktor Prime was a planet that was half-desert, and half-savannah. The city had a blocky architectural style, and was very diverse in the color scheme. Most buildings were colored in a variety of cool colors to offset the heat of the planets two suns, but most "official" Imperial buildings were drab gray.

They had managed in a part of the savannah on the outskirts of the town. There was a group of people off in the distance, but Sadira could hear the Imperial hymn from here they were so loud. A lone figure, however, marched toward them. He carried a hammer, and Sadira saw the Ecclesiarchal robes, and shining Aquila hanging from his neck.

"We're saved," she said "The church is here"

She began to laugh heartily and sat down on the floor. Nik simply shook his head and laid Darvo down to slap him awake.


	7. Character Insert

Here's a little bit of background story on our first three main characters.

We have:

**Nikolas Halcyon** – 26 year old Imperial Guardsman

**Darvo Layd** – 19 year old Adept

**Sadira Mrin** – 24 year old Techpriest

Nikolas was from a world that has been in constant conflict with a large chunk of Tau military. He was, literally, born into the guard. His mother and father both served their time as a nurse and a tank gunner respectively, and his grandfather commands his company of the Irran 3rd Regiment. He joined (early) at age 15 and participated in multiple hot drop and frontline assaults into cities held or contested by Tau hands. He is above average in intelligence, but would rather clean a gun than read a book. His time on the front has made him blunt in speech and heavily uncaring to learn or remember anyone's name. As was told in an insert he had a love, but it ended sour (as most Guard romances do). His decade of experience is a boon to the group as most follow what he reflexively does, and though he hates to admit it, Nik is one of the very few people Jerrod cannot "read" straight-away mainly because Nik lacks "surface thoughts". Which are idle thoughts that people have every day. Nik almost despises Darvo's happy attitude, and is constantly hard on him to toughen the younger man up. His and Sadira's interactions have been mostly awkward since Nik has been used to female Guard and their more masculine behavior. He's very level with Jerrod and prefers to talk to him when he can, and doesn't seem disturbed by his warp powers.

Darvo is from a planet classified as a "paradise world". His home was lush and beautiful. It served as a vacation destination for many nobles, and high-ranking Guard officers on R&R. He serves as an Adjutant to the mysterious Inquisitor just as all the members of his family before him. Though all have died in that same line of work, but Darvo has done one thing different than his relatives. He carries a gun. He is naturally curious about things, and pesters everyone to learn more about them. Sadira often indulges him, but Nik simply scoffs and regales him with a quick war story. Jerrod altogether ignores Darvo when his is around him.

Sadira ran her childhood out on an orbital station called the Ras Alhague. It was a refueling/re-arming point for any paying ship that drifted by. She became a Techpriest after she showed an aptitude at repairing the horrifically faulty machinery on the station. She left the orbital for a decade to receive training and her implant before she was returned to the same ship after the Imperial Navy had legitimately purchased it for Guard use. She is a normal girl despite the implants, and suffers from the same problems any girl goes through. Everything from "her time of the month" to self-esteem issues to small bouts of shallowness. Unlike Nik, and even Darvo, she has remained a virgin due to lack of interest in pursuing a relationship though she does find some men attractive.


	8. Chapter 5

**Author: Been out of the game for a while. Work and Cataclysm have sucked my life away, but I bringeth thee my revised writing technique! Reviews are always appreciated!**

Hynobaal was a warzone.

The relatively quiet city served as a recruitment and barracks center for initiates into the Sisters of Battle, but now the once beautiful Ecclesiarchal buildings were shelled out husks where wounded were treated and guarded by those who could manage holding a rifle. Though, despite the pessimistic nature of those guarding the shelter, Wallace Reyn kept smiling.

As he led the trio through the barricades in front of the chapel he greeted the defenders and refugees with kind words and a cheery disposition. Most that came in contact with him brightened and usually smiled in return, but some (like sister Selyra) scowled at his optimism. She was a weathered fighter, with numerous scars to attest to her experience.

One scar in particular drew Darvo Layd's eyes…..

A massive laceration from her scalp down to her neck, passing through her right eye (which was replaced with a mechanical one that glowed white), jagged and pink it marred what beauty the aging warrior had.

As Darvo stared unabashedly at the offending mark Nik's eyes were drawn to a different feature altogether. He stared instead at the rifle she carried in her hands with its muzzle pointed toward the ground.

A bolter….. He had only ever seen them in picts, and holovids of the mighty Astartes…

It was beautifully crafted, bearing the fleur-de-lis of the Sister's just above the trigger, and was gunmetal gray save for three band of exquisite silver and gold from the hammer to the modified choke.

Selyra noticed the two males staring at her, but ignored them and addressed Wallace.

"Brother Reyn! I sincerely hope you will explain why there is a guardsman, a techpriestess, and a damned scribe in my infirmary right now,"

Her voice threatened to blow Nik of his feet with its volume, but despite the intimidating effect Wallace replied with that ever-present smile.

"They landed her earlier venerable Sister. They were shoot down by one of the accursed cultists,"

Selyra turned her attention to Sadira, who had previously been toying with a strand of her hair, and addressed her.

"Techpriestess, what is your name?"

Sadira jumped as if a bomb had gone off next to her ear and hastily replied.

"Sadira Mrin,"

Selyra's scowl lessened slightly and her volume lowered.

"Why are you her Sadira, and who are your companions?"

Sadira motioned toward Darvo and Nik.

"This is Nikolas Halcyon and Darvo Layd, we were sent here by the Inquisition to find Mr. Reyn, and to assess the situation on this planet,"

Selyra scoffed, and brandished one arm about the shelter.

"The situation is as you see it. Cultists have attacked the city, and threaten to invade from the savannah,"

Nik stepped forward and cast a gaze over the defenders.

"Your infirmary is being patrolled by wounded that can barely stand, but carry weapons. Where is the PDF regiment that is supposed to be stationed here?"

Selyra threw a look at Nik that would make lesser men run in fear.

"The PDF? They guard the main city, and patrol the roads. They don't come out this far boy. We protect our own here,"

"Well I would think you would have called for reinforcements by now. This matter calls for Guard involvement, especially since they have organized enough to do this much damage,"

Nik returned her look with one of his own. A steely eyed gaze that seemed to infuriate the older woman.

"My initiates can handle this minor incursion. As we speak forty of my best and brightest are chasing down the remnants of the raiding party,"

Suddenly Darvo jumped into the conversation.

"How do you know them to be cultists? Could they not just be bandits?"

Selyra and Nik both looked at him in surprise. Selyra bumbled a second before answering his question.

"A few days ago one of the groups of initiates that were sent out to hunt game didn't come back. I myself led a search party for them, and we found them a few miles into the wild. They had been strung up and stripped of their armor and clothing, and most had been raped and mutilated. We recovered the bodies, and burned them in funeral pyres,"

Wallace was murmuring a prayer softly with his hands clasped, while Sadira's eyes went straight to the floor. Darvo was taken aback by the answer to his question, but Nik wasn't entirely convinced. He dealt with bandits on his home planet, and what happened seemed like terror tactics to him.

"Were there any traces of ritual sacrifice or other evidence of the Ruinous Powers?"

Selyra again shot him a murderous look.

"A select few had sigils carved into them. Those sisters were purified with sacred oils before burning."

With his suspicions confirmed Nik became silent. Selyra was quiet for a second before turning toward Wallace.

"Apparently the Inquisition has use for you Brother Reyn, but until the threat is quelled here you remain in my service. Give these servants of the Emperor a place to stay, and a good meal."

Wallace bowed humbly, and Selyra turned her gaze toward Nik.

"I expect you to report to me after you've eaten for patrol,"

Nik nodded, and Selyra looked toward Sadira.

"I would ask that you take a look at the remains of what vehicles we had here, and see what can be salvaged,"

Sadira smiled and nodded enthusiastically, and Selyra's eyes fell toward Darvo. Her scowl noticeably grew as she spoke to him.

"Scribe I don't have much use for your talents, but you can start by gathering the names of the dead, and then you can inventory what weapons and ammunition we have here,"

Seeing their council finished Selyra turned away and strode out to the barricades. Wallace beckoned the trio to follow him as he walked into the still intact dormitories. He showed them to an empty room that was completely bare. He smiled (per usual) as he turned toward them.

"I have a feeling you are all going to be a great help here. The inn across the road serves us all at dawn and dusk, and you can try to wrangle up some spare blankets from the basement of the chapel,"

He stepped toward each of the three and shook their hands, while blessing them with his free hand. Before closing the door he cast one look back toward them.

"Emperor protect you three, and remember that no matter how dark it seems, the Emperor's divine light will break through,"


	9. Chapter 6

Patrol put Nik in a strange sense of ease. In the past weeks he'd gone from a soldier to a war hero to the enforcer of an Inquisitor. He'd barely been able to sleep on that ship because of his nerves. The things he'd heard about the Inquisition was enough to keep him up at night. They were wispy phantoms tracking down heretics and punishing them with the wrath of the Emperor himself.

This…. Return to normalcy is what he needed.

He wasn't alone of course. Selyra sent him on the graveyard patrol with a group of five initiates. The difference between Nik and the recruits was startling however. First off, Nik wore reinforced Guard issue armor, it bore obsidian black with the Inquisitorial "I" on the front in crimson and gold, and it was strong enough to bear more damage than standard issue flak. The initiates were poorly armored with woven mesh vests under the plain white tunics they wore. The weaponry was different as well. Nik was armed with a standard las-rifle, but it was heavily modified.

Before leaving for Ocktor Prime the group was given access to an armory and allowed to take what they needed. Darvo and Sadira skipped out due to the fact they had no intention to fight, but Nik went wild. His las-rifle was outfitted with a better choke, hair trigger, expendable skeleton stock, better sights, and a flash suppressor. He came out of the armory all smiles and sherry only to realize that he had no one to show this to. No foxhole buddies to gloat with. The pain of loneliness hit him like a punch in the gut.

The initiates were armed with solid slug rifles that were bolt-action. This served as a boon for what little ammunition Darvo had scrounged up and inventoried. Besides the rifles the recruits carried auto-pistols and standard issue combat knives. The same kind Nik used to carry. He now carried the Vostroyan sword from that last battle on his home planet. The four foot long blade bounced against his left thigh as they walked the empty city streets.

To be completely sure of no threat of a surprise attack Sister Selyra sent out three patrols each night to cover separate parts of the city. One patrol covered the business district where they searched for refugees in the wrecked buildings. Another patrol covered the industrial section, which was also the section where the prisons were, where they scavenged for whatever the camp may need. The patrol Nik was in currently was patrolling the residential district. He was told, specifically, to run through each house and search for food and survivors.

Nik didn't like the venerable Sister. She was inclined toward contempt when she spoke to him or Darvo, and it seems her contempt passed onto the initiates that were with him. They were "asked" to follow his orders, but they seemed to travel at least ten feet behind him. It was unsettling to him honestly. They wandered about the abandoned houses for about an hour before Nik's temper got the best of him. They had been whispering about him for a god ten minutes, and he was sick of it. He stopped and turned to face them.

"Okay… Now you all need to understand that I am working for an Inquisitor,"

He spoke sternly to them, and they simply stood and looked at him.

"And since I work for the Inquisition I outrank Sister Selyra. You are under my command out here and you will act like it,"

Their stares grew wider at him.

They were shocked, but not at his words…

Nik heard it, soft footsteps in the dark, a plinking of metal against metal, a quick breath.

They were here…

Nik brought his rifle up to his shoulder, and scanned the street. There was a group of them ducked in a yard a block up the road. They knew where he was at, but they were hiding now. Nik looked back at the initiates and put his fist up and pointed toward a park to his left. Taking his cue the recruits brought their weapons up and moved into the park's open gate. Nik followed slowly and kept his rifle pointed down toward the yard. As soon as he got out of sight he turned to the huddled initiates.

"Listen, there is a group of them downwind a block from us in a yard, I think they only saw me, but I'm not one hundred percent on this,"

His voice was huddled.

The initiates were distinguished to him by features instead of name, mainly because he never asked. He pointed at the lone redhead in the group.

"You need to hang back and watch for reinforcements,"

She nodded and crept over to the cast iron gate. He then pointed at a short haired brunette.

"You follow me up to the third house, and then take up a position inside with a clear view of me,"

The girl nodded and gripped her rifle tightly. He pointed at the last two initiates.

"You two flank me, but if they start shooting break off and take up separate positions, and I'll try to draw them into a crossfire,"

With that last note Nik brought his rifle up and started moving up the street slightly crouched. Everything was quiet until he got a house away. The cultists came screaming around the corner carrying pipes, and planks of wood.

He didn't understand….

His las bolts ripped through them with no effort, and they were all dead in a matter of seconds. Nik turned and looked at the girls with him. They had the same dumbfounded look he did. The complete lack of organization and methods was strange. It's as if the cultists were just out for blood. Nik squatted down to check the bodies for any offending glyphs. The bodies had no markings at all. He wondered if maybe they were fresh recruits into this cult. His wonderings were halted by a noise in the distance. Multiple noises in fact, and whooping yells in languages that he didn't understand.

"How far away is the safe house?" he asked one of the initiates.

"Um, just about a mile from here," she stumbled out.

Nik turned and looked at the pale faced girls. They wouldn't be able to hold it in a firefight like what was coming up. They needed to run, and Nik supposed that he'd play vanguard.

"Run, and don't look back. I'll hold them off long enough for you to warn Selyra of the coming attack,"

The initiates started to protest, but Nik cut them off.

"I have been in tougher scraps than this. You need to warn the rest. Go!"

He turned and shot at the first of the coming group. The sisters took the hint and turned tail, running back along the road and out of sight. Nik watched them for a second and then turned his attention back to the coming cultists. They had slowed to a pace, banging their weapons against whatever was nearby in an attempt to intimidate him. It didn't work, he had been scared before, but by something to be truly afraid of. He remembered the patrolling he'd done on his home planet, and how many times he looked over his shoulder at the fear of being jumped by the carnivorous Kroot that fought with the Tau. He remembered seeing them in battle. Watching them beat someone down and start eating him alive. THAT was something scary, not a group of untrained civilians banging clubs against metal.

They moved at such a slow rate it was ridiculous. Nik brought his rifle up and switched to full auto, and started cutting them down with bright blue las bolts. They started charging after the first few went down, but didn't make it very far. Once they lay on the ground Nik heard more yells, and turned to engage the next group. This group came peeling around houses and got a helluva lot closer than the last group. Close enough that Nik only managed to shoot one before they were on him. He drew his blade as quick as he could to parry a machete swing. As soon as he parried he thrust forward into the machete wielder, and elbowed another with a club in the face. He pulled the sword free to knock aside a hatchet, and then brought the blade around in a quick arc to behead a cultist behind him. Instinctively he rolled forward, and then swung the blade around to bury it into the hatchet carrier's side. The cultist fell on the ground howling, and Nik silenced him with a thrust of the sword. More howls announced the coming of more cultists, and Nik realized he would be soon overrun.

"Frak this," he said as he sheathed his sword and scooped up his lasrifle.

He turned and sprinted down the road, and turned around the corner without breaking stride. He ran down the street, and stopped at an intersection. He stood there for a second before chewing himself out in his head.

He couldn't remember which way they had come.

He turned and looked down the three possible roads. The streetlights were still functioning, mostly, and he really couldn't hear anything over the deranged mobs screams. He closed his eyes and angled his head up.

"Emperor," he whispered aloud "You have guided me through a decade of war. You kept me alive through combat so fierce I shudder to remember it, and now you have placed me with your most loyal servants, the Inquisition. I ask you now to help me find the path to those wounded children who have beaten back these cultists so ferociously,"

He opened his eyes and looked to his left and right. Suddenly, a large dog came out of a wrecked house to the house along the road straight in front of him. It stared him down and turned tail, running along the path in front of him. After he hurriedly thanked the Emperor, Nik sprinted after the beast. It lead him winding through alleyways, and side roads until he lost sight of it. He looked about for a second and then felt something push him forward. He stumbled and tripped over a chunk of pavement into open road.

He was right in front of the inn across from the safe house.

He recovered, and looked at the alleyway behind him. The dog sat there and let its pink tongue flop out at him. Nik smiled and motioned for it to come closer, but the dog pricked it's ears up then turned and ran back into the darkness. Not wanting to waste time Nik shouldered his lasrifle and ran past the barricades, and bewildered initiates, into the open doors.

"Cultists inbound!" he shouted.

His eyes scanned the now startled civilians, and wounded. He couldn't see Selyra or Wallace, or any of his companions. He grabbed a nearby initiate.

"Where is sister Selyra?" he asked.

"S-s-she's talking with your companions near the southern barricade," the girl stammered.

"Listen very closely; there are a lot of cultists coming. Get the people who can fight together, and ready the defenses. I'll speak with Selyra,"

Nik released the girl and barreled out the doors and around the corner to the south barricade. He noticed Selyra, Wallace, and his companions talking with someone he didn't expect to see.

Jerrod…

He wasn't supposed to be here. He was supposed to be on the ship still. Even more distressing was the company he was in. A tall person clad in an all black robe.


	10. Chapter 7

**Writing WH40k fanfiction is fun as hell. I especially enjoy it because it kills time for me right now. Got a few reviews speaking of Sadira's character. Yeah, she is a Techpriest, but she's just an initiate. I am adapting her character right now, but not sure how I want to play her…. Someone mentioned that our Guardsman couldn't technically kill a Dork Eldar Archon, but we got to look at two things here. A) Nik came from a decade of frontline warfare. Now a Guardsman is only expected to live fifteen hours, but he survived a decade. B) Remember that he was with a psyker. Maybe our young magician weakened the Archon with his mind or through other such warp-craft. **

"You are under our jurisdiction now,"

"Ha! I don't follow a psykers orders!"

"You will madam, or the Inquisition will strip you of your title, and you'll find yourself spending time with the Sisters Repentia," 

Sister Selyra's face was red with anger, while Jerrod's stayed blank. The older woman had been arguing with the much younger psyker for ten minutes now over just who was in charge of the defense of the city. Jerrod had clearly won the argument with the threat of having her stripped of rank.

"Now, if you don't mind, I will need your initiates to ready themselves for an evacuation,"

"How do you expect us to evacuate? We have one working vehicle!"

"I have contacted the PDF's commanding officer, and they are on their way to take you all to the capitol city,"

Selyra's face got even redder. She seemed to hate that Jerrod had gone over her head and contacted the local regiment of Guard. Nik watched as Selyra marched off toward the chapel in a huff. He didn't dare step close while they were arguing in fear that she'd yell at him too. Once she got a good distance away Nik trotted over to Jerrod, and filled him about the attack.

"I know already,"

Nik was taken aback for a second before he remembered he was talking to a psyker. They tended to know a lot of things before they were told.

"What do we do?"

"We evacuate,"

"Will the PDF be here on time?"

Jerrod stayed silent.

Not a good sign.  
"Jerrod? Will the PDF be here on time to save them?"

"Most of them. Some will probably be killed, or left behind"

Nik sighed at the fact. He'd seen it happen before. The Guard didn't like to waste its resources, and if that meant leaving a few wounded behind so be it.

"We are going to mount a defense at least?"

"No. We are taking the vehicle Ms. Mrin repaired to an abandoned outpost nearby,"

Nik sighed again, and remembered what he meant to ask him.

"Who's this?" he asked as he pointed toward the robed man.

"I'll explain shortly. Gather Darvo, Sadira, and Wallace,"

Nik looked at the robed man for a second. Something about him was unnerving, but Nik just blamed it on the robe. Gathering the group was pretty easy except for Wallace. The old priest was ridiculously stubborn. He saw abandoning the initiates as a travesty. To him is was the same as leaving a child at home alone with a grenade, but Nik managed to coax him outside with a small lie that he wanted to discuss defense plan. Once outside Nik dragged the, surprisingly strong, man to the open backed truck Sadira was starting up.

Once he threw Wallace onto the back Nik clambered up with him, and Sadira pulled away from the chapel. Darvo rode with her in the cabin along with the robed man while Jerrod rode on the tailgate. He dangled his legs over the edge, and almost bounced off the back with each rough patch of road. Nik watched as Jerrod looked down at the road. He wondered is her could still use his eyes with the bar of metal that wrapped around his head from temple to temple. Then again Nike guessed that he didn't need his eyes to "see".

An explosion brought Nik from his musing, and his head snapped to the plume of flame coming from the rapidly distancing city. He watched as the city blended into the horizon, and was nearly thrown from the truck when Sadira took a sharp turn onto a, somehow, bumpier road. Nik turned and watched the road ahead, and could see a large fort in the distance. He pulled the magnoculars from his belt and took a look through them.

The fort was old. Its gate was barely intact, and one of the walls was covered in plant life. Nik shuddered to think of what the inside looked like. He put away his magnoculars and armed his lasrifle. He braced it over the roof of the truck just in case there might be any danger.

As the truck got close to the dilapidated gate Sadira slowed it down, and shut it down. They all exited the vehicle, and began walking toward the fort with Nik leading. He pushed open the gate, and slowly strode into the open courtyard. Most of the pre-fabricated structures still stood, and there were remains of a motor pool off to their immediate left. Jerrod directed the group to the command structure and they all gathered around a dusty metal table inside.

"The Chaos infestation here is worse than it seems,"

Jerrod's statement drove a cruel point home.

"I was sent here to deliver our Inquisitor's new orders. He wants us to link up with the PDF, and get a counter-attack mounted,"

Nik threw a hand up into the air.

"That's what I told that damned Selyra when we first got here!"

Jerrod nodded, and waved a dismissive hand at Nik.

"I know Nikolas, and you shouldn't be surprised that she refused to ask for Guard help. She hates men,"

Darvo suddenly interjected.

"She hates men? I didn't know that,"

Wallace slapped him upside the head with a meaty palm.

"She has since she first was stationed on this planet. Bad blood between her and the Governor,"

Nik shrugged and cradled his weapon in the crook of his elbow.

"So, how are we planning on getting to the capitol quickly? The truck is nice, but it isn't the fastest,"

Sadira raised her hand and made an excited noise.

"Ooh, ooh! I saw the corpses of some vehicles near the entrance. I can try to modify the truck with them, but it could take a while,"

Jerrod nodded at Sadira, and cast a hand toward the hooded man.

"It's time I introduced our friend here. His name is Castigatio, and he is here to add another gun arm to our group,"

The man cast off his robe and revealed an encasing black bodysuit with a hood that covered his face with a crimson skull. Strapped on his suit were two long knives at the thighs, and across his back was a very well made solid slug firearm. He was about as tall as Nik was, but was definitely more intimidating.

"Is he what I think he is?" Darvo asked.

Jerrod nodded.

Castigatio was an assassin then, Nik thought. He had heard of the Officio Assassinorum, and the masterful killers that came out of there, but never expected to meet one. His appearance only seemed to disturb Nik. Darvo was caught in wonder, Sadira was already leaving to look after the vehicles, and Wallace was grasping the man's hand and welcoming him. Jerrod approached Nik and placed a hand on his spaulder.

"We will make camp here tonight. Will you take the first watch with Wallace?"

Nik nodded, and stepped out of the structure. He just couldn't shake the feeling that Castigatio gave him.

**Ok, so now we got an Assassin, Guardsman, Adept, Psyker, Techpriest, and Cleric. Our party is looking good right? As always I enjoy reading reviews and prefer the criticizing kind. If I don't know what I'm doing wrong how can I fix it?**


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